I haven't been on the water much in my life but over the last few months I've learned a lot about sailing. It may seem crazy or odd considering I live in one of the most highly populated cities and the only water transportation I've taken since arriving here is either a canoe or water taxi.
I've done a lot of reading and sat in a lot of meetings in the four months that I've been here. Through getting to know people and discussing life with people I've learned a lot along the way.
Sailing.
Certainly not anything I even considered learning about while living in Vietnam.
I've also learned that almost every part of sailing can be metaphorical and useful in understanding the Gospel.
My grandfather, who spent most of his life on ships is probably reading this and smiling right about now :)
Many of you know what a rudder is but I'll explain anyways! In order for a boat to change course the rudder has to make contact with the water causing driving force and heeling force to collide.
Driving force is the boats current direction and heeling force is the perpendicular force the can slow a boat down if not maneuvered properly.
In order for the rudder to function, contact or pressure has to be applied against it. As believers, God calls us to make contact, by that I mean to be apart of the world but not of it. He wants us to cause pressure and to be with people and be willing to stir up change.
On a sailboat there is thing called linkage. Linkage is a cord or rope that allows you to tug on or keep a handle on either the helm or the rudder even when the boat tips on its side.
Our linkage as believers should be tightly knit with relationship with people and with God. Nothing occurs on its own, therefore we must be ready to pull tight or ease up depending what the Holy Spirit is leading us to.
One thing that blows my mind is unless a boat, specifically a sail boat, is going downwind, it must tack. Boats that travel downwind can go very fast with little effort. The more adventurous and challenging maneuver is going upwind or sailing against the wind.
In order to keep forward momentum, you have to tack, or turn the boat in 45 degree angles to the sides going back and forth causing the boat to move forward against the wind. The whole idea that an opposing force can actually be used as a driving force blows my mind.
Everyday of our lives we are going to face winds and storms of all kind but instead of running from it, we have to learn to press in and use the wind to propell us forward.
Adversity in this life does not indicate His will. Recall the verse in James 1:2-4,
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
God tells us in His word that we will face winds and He tells us to find joy and to press on. Push into the wind and move forward.
I could go on and on about the interesting and mind blowing things I've learned about sailing but that's enough for now.
